Michael L. Coates, MD, MS

“My joy is my family. The thrill of seeing new Family Physicians trained each year adds to that joy. My personal interests include baseball, history, and traveling.”

Dr. Coates was the Chair of Family Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine from 1998 to 2013. Prior to this position he was a Professor at the University of Virginia in the Department of Family Medicine where he was on the faculty for 19 years. During his tenure there he started and directed the Family Medicine Obstetrical Service. He also had a stint as the Director of Undergraduate Education, initiated the colposcopy clinic, directed the CME board review course for 12 years, and was the initial medical director for a start-up managed care program sponsored by the university.

In 1997 Dr. Coates was awarded the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has been awarded the Resident Teaching Award in 2011. For 16 years he was an Instructor in ACLS and ATLS. He has been listed in Best Doctors in America since 1996 with most the recent being 2015-2016. He retired as a Captain in the United States Naval Reserves in 2000 after nearly 30 years of service. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. He is a past member of the Board of Curators for the Center for the History of Family Medicine, the Board of Trustees for Wake Forest University Community Physicians, and the Board of Directors of North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians. He maintains an active clinical practice in the Family Medicine clinic. His areas of interest include adolescent medicine, ADD/ADHD, issues in acute care, clinical applications of hypnosis, and over-the-counter medications.

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